Around Uttargaya school

August 24, 2023 by Teacher Jack in Tupche Nepal, Betrawati Nepal

Around Uttargaya school
2000

Photos with students, last day at Uttargaya

July 25, 2023 by Teacher Jack in Betrawati Nepal

Photos with students, last day at Uttargaya
Betrawati, 2000

Photos with teachers, last day at Uttargaya

July 25, 2023 by Teacher Jack in Betrawati Nepal

Photos with teachers, last day at Uttargaya
Betrawati, 2000

Children walking to Uttargaya school in the morning

May 25, 2023 by Teacher Jack in Betrawati Nepal

Children walking to Uttargaya school in the morning
Betrawati, Nepal, Summer 2000

Letting some of my students lead the way, along the long bumpy road to our school.

A video taken by Serika, traveling the same stretch of road some twenty-three years later.

Sisters Sushmita, Manju and Shushila

May 13, 2015 by Teacher Jack in Betrawati Nepal

Sisters Sushmita, Manju and Shushila
Betrawati, 2002

Sushmita, Manju and Shushila lived beside the dusty road that snakes through Betrawati. I remember that Manju went to my school, but I don't recall if Sushmita or Sushila did (there were at least two other schools within a 20 minute walk). Their brother Rabindra was one of the first children I met in the village. He saw me buying several Choco-Fun candy bars on one of my first days, and so sometimes when he would see me he would shout "Choco-Fun!" as a way of greeting.

These two color photos were taken in 2002, on a day when the children were preparing their family's field for planting. You can see the wooden plow being helped along by brothers Rajesh and Rabinda below. In the background you can see most of Uttargaya Secondary English Boarding School.

If you would like to donate to Mercy Corps’ Nepal Earthquake fund please click here.

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Below is a photo of siblings Manju and Rabindra taken in late 2000.

Children dancing to the beat of a madal drum

May 12, 2015 by Teacher Jack in Betrawati Nepal

Children dancing to the beat of a madal drum
Uttargaya Secondary English Boarding School, Betrawati, 2000

[text below from a postcard I wrote on September 26th, 2000]

"...most of the students were already mentally on the two-week Dashain festival that starts in a couple of days. At lunch, I asked Kove, one of the teachers, if there was school tomorrow—I had so far heard differing accounts. He checked with the office and then told me it was still undecided.

After lunch I stuck around and noticed that of twelve rooms, only one or two had teachers. In the second-level class all of the kids were singing in Nepali while one boy danced at the front. I joined in and they all burst into laughter. From the "nursery" class I heard crying, so I went down there. Danuze, a small boy who speaks no English, was in tears. I squatted down, speaking in soft tones knowing that my words wouldn't help, but perhaps my voice would. He stopped crying and I think I may have gotten a smile once I started acting goofy—"Look at my hand Danuze... it's HUGE! It's the biggest hand I've ever SEEN!

The bell rang and all of the kids started yelling excitedly and running out the door—their little backpacks hopping up and down as they went. I followed them out the door and watched as they all ran across the field. It would seem there was no 7th period today and no school tomorrow. I'm going to miss seeing them all over the next 2–3 weeks..."

If you would like to donate to Mercy Corps’ Nepal Earthquake fund please click here.

If you would like to donate to UNICEF’s Nepal Earthquake fund please click here.